Butte semi-weekly miner., 1887-04-02
THE ARABS HORSE.
i YOUNG COLT TREATED As A
MEMBER OF THE FAMILY.

ine-One Bit Of Business-Fed with
Great Discrimination.
The majority Of Arab horse owners prefer
to keep mares-in their opinion "a marc
that producesa mare is q fountain OF rlches;
in times of battle, mares can be easier kepS
quiet than horses and that, to the dweiiers
in the desert, is another Recommendation.
Stations indeed, are very rare; only the
miehtier chiefs that can afford to Keep enc,
as the stallion must have many servants to
look after its welfare and see that it docs
NOT wander and become lost. When an
Arab marc drops her foal mighty commo-
tion is made. in the belief that the animal
will never afterward be frightened at hear
ing a noise of any kind. Then, after the din
has ceased. there falls to be enacted ittlo
ceremony: the foal is transferred from the
arm of the Arab who carried it in his arms
during the disturbance, to the master OF the
tent, who placing the right dug on the mare
in the mouth of the infant one, exclaims in
q loud voice: MAY Allah bless and preserve
it and send us good fortune in abundance,
with health to enjoy itl'' All present join
in making suitable response, usually ending
with: .'Let us all bless Allah, who has sent
to the family another child"
Great attention continues to be bestowed
upon the foal during the first seven months
Of its life. It is not only taught to suck its
mother but is also taught how 20 drink the
milk of the camel and the eve, so that it
may soon learn to do without its mother,
which has to resume work as speedily as
may be. In the event of barley ever becom-
ing scarce or of the water supply running
short the horse is able-having been well
taught-to take ''pot luck" When the foal
has attained the age of about 225 days it Is
finally weaned and severed from the COM
panionship OF its mother, on which occasion
some other little ceremonial OF simple kind
Is INDUCED in-the women OF the tent as
semble and demand the animal "Give it
unto u.s." they say, ''it has now no other
mother; it has become an orphan which we
shall tend and feed and Allah will bless us. "
The foal is then given up and the women are
as good as their word; they feed it with
milk and dates giving it also pieces OF their
bread. It is doubtless their tender treat
ment which renders the animal so docile-so
docile that it can be easily handled by the
merest child. Its education proceeds apace;
each foal is, so to say, married to a child
who rides him in search of grass or water.
The child is fearless and the boy teaches the
horse to fear no evil; the boy in time be-
comes q clever horseman, while the horse |
grows all that can be wished. The colt is |
left in charge of the child till it is 18 or 20
months old, when its breaking in" is begun. |
The training Of the colt is begun by his |
being shackled with clogs; and persons who
have seen this mode of breaking think it is |
really admirable system. The clog sprevent |
the animal from entangling itself in the |
halter, or from getting into the manger. or
from lying below it and from multitude OF |
bad habits which are incidental to other |
modes of training. Not till it is over 2 years
old is the colt ever saddled or bridled, and
then the utmost care is taken not to fatigue
the animal; as preliminary to the mount
ing of full grown rider they are frequently |
led up and down with a pack saddle on their |
backs and a bit in their mouths which is COW
cred with undressed wool. At length the
man mounts the colt in order to complete its
education. Before it has only been allowed
to carry a child on its back, now it is made
to feel the power of a master hand-the
great object in view being to accustom the
animal to ungr1dging obedience. At first
the colt gets only light work and is ridden
without spurs and but little force is used.
His owner >anters him around among his
belongings, using las seldom as he possibly
caD) light cane, just to remind his horse
that he has master; immense pains are
taken not to tout or harass the animal, but
to train him in the way he will have to go;
he is always addressed in q gentle voice and
no opposition is experienced.
One bit of business; it is deemed Of the
utmost importance he should be taught from
The beginning of his training, and that is to
stand stone still while his rider is dismount-
ing and not to stir after he has dismounted.
The value of such training was seen when an
Arab rider was shot and fell from his horse
it stood still till it was remounted. The
training of these animals is so complete that
my person might ride one of them to market
pass the bride over the horses neck, let it
'all to the ground, then placing brick or
'tone upon it, 60 away on business, remain
absent for an hour or two and come back in
;he certainty Of finding his colt where he
eft it.
From their earliest years Arab horses are
ed with much care and discrimination,
heir food being in accordance with their
lge, temperament and work. As has been
tated, the Arab horse is taught to drink the
milk of the camel and the eve. Amilk diet
8 greatly approved of, because owners of
lorses think that it is good for the health Of
be animal and strengthens without fatten.
ng it. Camels' milk is also said to be i'm.
'ued with the power of imparting speed Of
imb to those who drink it, whether man OF
lorse. Another point connected with the 1
eed of horse in the desert ought to be
tudied by trainers at home that is, that the
nimal should be made to eat barley. "Had
not seen the mare produce the foal
hould have said it was the barley" is an
Arab saying. Another saying is: "When :
ou purchase horse feed him with barley
i'll you know the measure of his stomach-al :
ood horseman ought to know the measure !
barley suited to his horse as exactly as the /
,easure Of powder suited to his gum" n
have now, perhaps, said enough to show \
he love of the Arab for his steed and the
are that is taken to render tha animal of